MASKED FINCH
Poephila personata.
Alternate Names:
Mask Finch, Masked Grassfinch.
Availability:
Uncommon in Australian aviaries at times and
appears to go through a number of peaks and troughs over the years. The
White-eared Mask Finch, P.personata leucotis, is even rarer and extremely
hard to find in captivity although a breeder in WA has had extremely good
success with the species..
Sexing:
To the untrained eye it can be extremely
difficult trying to sex the Masked Finch. It can be difficult at times for the
trained eye as well! Perhaps the best method is to look at the size of the birds
as the hen tends to be slightly smaller than the male. My favourite way of
sexing these birds is to check the size of the black mask on the face. If you
hold the birds the males’ mask extends back from the beak to a greater extent
than the females – when viewed from above this is more obvious. Also the male
has a richer brown colouration to the top of his head which tends to be more
pronounced when the birds are in breeding condition. Apparently there are
differences in the ‘trouser stripe’ colour but we are not familiar with this
method of sexing.
Mutations:
There are only two mutations that we are aware
of in this species are the Fawn and the White - both are rarely seen.
Distribution:
Northern Australia from around Derby in
Western Australia through to the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland.
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Fig.1. Baby Mask | Fig.2. Mask finch | Fig.3. Pair of Masks |
Compatibility:
Unlike their cousins the Longtail and the
Parson they are docile in a mixed collection. They do best as a small colony of
3 or more pairs but will breed when kept as a single pair. They show no
inclination to interfere with the nests of smaller waxbill species – unlike
their cousins! They may be a little timid when combined with the more
‘boisterous’ Australian such as Diamond Sparrows, Redbrows and Blue-face
Parrotfinches but are fine with the majority of waxbills and other smaller
finches.
Ease of breeding (1 easy -10
difficult):
5/10 – can be difficult to breed even if given
the right conditions. The right conditions include being given a diet of good
and plentiful half ripe seeding heads and large amounts of live food. Many first
time parents are notoriously bad bringing youngsters out well before ‘sensible’
and many are half feathered and can succumb on cool nights. Many pairs are also
touchy when nest inspection is undertaken and may desert.
Purchasing your bird:
To purchase Masks you would need to find
breeders as they are becoming uncommon in most bird outlets. It would be
beneficial to you to buy your pairs of birds from different outlets, so you will
most likely obtain different strains of the species. That will give you better
breeding results and keep your gene pool diverse.
If you are unsure of where to find a reputable breeder ask at your nearest Finch
Society or avicultural club.
Good points to look for:
Size of the bird – especially avoid a bird
with a thin keel bone.
Well coloured yellow beak.
Clear bright eyes.
The bird is always on the move.
The bird must be in good tight feather and the feathers to have a nice sheen to
them.
Clean mandibles, legs and a clear clean vent are essential.
The colours of the bird are strong.
Faults to look for:
Birds that are lethargic.
Soiled vent – especially common in this species.
Fluffed up with closed eyes.
Overgrown toenails.
Missing feathers.
A dulled appearance to the feathers.
When moved these finches, in common with other members of the Poephila
genus, show a tendency to scour. This is usually easily treated with one of the
multitude of electrolyte replacers on the market – if not you will have a real
problem on your hands.
Aviary or breeding cabinet:
These birds are ill suited to breeding cages
and will do much better in larger well-planted aviaries.
Regardless of the housing situation, whether cabinet or aviary, it must be free
of draughts as this bird is prone to pneumonia in cooler climates.
Breeding season:
In the Sydney area it is best to try and breed
them during the warmer months
of spring summer and autumn although they will breed through the winter
months if given the right conditions. I have found that the Masks that I have
had ceased breeding in the hotter months of summer and recommenced about the
second week in March. If you intend to attempt breeding them during the colder
months, then you should ensure that your diet has the correct amount of oils or
you may very well have egg binding problems.
In cooler climes they tend to breed early - around late August early September –
which can lead to problems as the weather can be very unsettled during this
period.
Off-season feeding:
I must point out here that I personally do not
believe in the austerity diet.
An austerity diet of mixed seeds, grits,
cuttlebone and eggshells is O.K. A fresh supply of some seeding grasses is also
recommended. Not too much at a time in the off-season as it could easily scour
the birds. I do not feed my birds an austerity diet now and never will.
Should I feed soft foods?
A good mix of egg and biscuit formula can be
fed to the birds on a daily basis. Fruit such as red apple and paw-paw can be
offered as well. A small amount of Madeira cake may be offered.
What green feed?
Fresh grass seed can be fed daily in the
breeding season. Other green feed can consist of Dandelion, Milk thistle,
Chickweed, Endive, Kale and Chicory. I also feed my birds fresh grasses with the
roots attached. The birds seem to enjoy picking around the roots and must be
picking up small tit-bits from them.
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Fig.4. White-ears | Fig.5. Pair of White-ears | Fig.6. Breeding! |
What live food?
Masks do very well when supplied with copious
amounts of Termites. They will readily take Gentles (Maggots) and Mealworms and
often show a preference for maggots over mealworms.
Breeding season feeding.
At the end of winter this is the time to
instigate your breeding-feeding program. This is when you start to slowly
give your birds some extra bits in their feed tray. Do not start with large
amounts. To begin with let the birds build up to the extra live food and green
seeding grasses. Too much too soon can easily cause all types of intestinal
problems – especially scours in this species.
What age do they breed?
Young Masks can be bred from at around 9
months of age. It is best not to breed them before this age as it will detract
from your breeding expectations, so you are best advised to curb your impatience
and leave them to mature properly before breeding from young birds – usually 12
months after they were bred.
What if I lose a mate?
Pair bonding is very strong in the Mask Finch
and if you happen to lose one of a pair, it is not always easy to pair another
with the surviving bird. It is best to pair them when they are still young by
placing a number of uncoloured birds together and letting them choose their own
mates. If you are having no luck in pairing a new bird with the surviving, try
separating them for at least two months and then reintroducing the cock to the
hen.
Nesting receptacles:
Masks do not seem to show a preference for nesting receptacles and will
construct their breeding nests in the brush of the aviary. I have had them use
nesting boxes as sleep nests during the winter but mine have never bred in
these.
They do like dried grasses and bracken fern placed in large wire cylinders hung
from the roof of the aviary. They will build in a very unobtrusive place!
Nesting materials:
Nesting materials can vary from November
grasses for the nest lining and coarser grasses for the exterior – they are big
fans of the Ehrharta grass family for the outer lining or witch grass.
They build their own nest in the shrubbery attached to the walls of the aviary.
I also supply the birds with coarser grasses that they use for the outer shell
of the nest. Masks use a copious amount of white feathers to line the nest along
with a large number of pieces of charcoal.
The nest:
The nest, if built in the brush, is a smallish
nest with an entrance hole in one end. They often use long leaves from the
tussock grasses and weave these into a ball. They use a coarse grass for the
outer nest and may use softer November grass for lining the interior together
with a large amount of white feathers, Emu feathers and even pampas grass heads.
The nest is often well hidden and many appear to have an entrance tunnel which
opens into a feather filled chamber.
Mating behavior:
The mating ritual begins with the male hopping
from branch to branch in the near vicinity of the female. The female will
usually sit in the one position and allow the male to do his thing. The male
will have a piece of grass in his beak at most times and begin a hopping and
bobbing movement towards the female. Both of the birds point the tail in each
other’s direction. The hen will begin to quiver her tail when she is ready to
copulate.
Eggs:
It is not unusual to have up to 6 white eggs
in the nest with most young that are hatched raised to maturity. However, 3-5
eggs are usually laid.
Brooding time:
It generally takes around 14 days to incubate
the eggs. There may be a day or twos difference in cooler climates.
Fledging time:
Fledging usually takes around 21 days. In the
first few days after leaving the nest the young can be highly ‘excitable’ and
are very prone to damaging themselves in these days.
Independence from the Parents:
Young Masks can be left with the parents as
long as it does not create an overcrowding problem in your aviary. If you want
to separate the young from the parents then the birds would have to be at least
5-6 weeks of age. I have always left them until their beaks are starting to turn
yellow before separating them.
How long do the young stay with the parents?
It is best to leave the young with the parents
for a further 4 weeks. I have seen no indication that the young interfere with
future nests of youngsters.
What do I feed the fledged young?
The young birds can be given the same diet as
the parents. I include even more half ripe seeding heads when the weaning
process from the parents begins to start that is when the young are out of the
nest for about two weeks.
When do I ring the young?
The young can be rung immediately after they
have left the nest. If you leave it too long the ring will not slip over the
toes. When ringing young birds with an enclosed ring, be careful not to damage
the foot or toes over which you are slipping the ring.
Separating the pairs:
It is not necessary to separate the pairs, as
they will regulate themselves for their breeding needs. However, if you have a
male that persists on putting the hen down again and again, then I would most
certainly isolate the pair for a period of a couple of months, so that the hen
would have time to recover and build herself up again. As they have such a
strong pair bond separation is a last resort.
Showing your bird:
Mask’s are a great bird to show as they look
absolutely terrific when in good feather. I think that they are the, along with
the Java Sparrow, one of the neatest birds that you could get for the show
bench.
Once the bird has settled down and gets used to people being around it does look
good when viewed up close.
Judges will look for birds in tip-top condition without any pinfeathers showing
at all. The colour of the mandible is taken into consideration with the brighter
the yellow beak the better.
Also the legs and mandible must be clean and no flaking present.
The colour of the face mask, especially on the male, must be dark and extend to
the mid-rear of the eye.
The tail must be of a good length and not damaged at all.
With the White-eared Mask all of the above is appropriate for them and the thing
that the judges will look for on them is the amount of the white patch and the
cleanness of the white ear patch.
Gene pool:
The gene pool for the Mask Finch in Australian
aviaries is tenuous and greater breeding effort should be applied lest we lose
this species. Part of this is because the Mask lacks the more ‘flamboyant’
nature of the Longtail and Parson. They are also duller which often makes them
less desirable in some peoples eyes.
Please note; If you have other Poephila species (Longtails
and Parsons) in your aviaries, they will interbreed with the Mask Finch, giving
you a hybrid bird that is of no use, thus not only ruining your breeding lines,
not only putting the gene pool of all three species into jeopardy. I believe
that many of the hybrids between these three species are fertile.
Life Expectancy:
Masks live to around 7 or 8 years with the
best breeding time of 2 to 5 years.
Common ailments:
Masks are, in my opinion, the most delicate of
the Poephila family. They appear to be very prone to pneumonia in cooler
climates – which, fortunately, is fairly easily treated with antibiotics if you
get to them in time. A good worming and Coccidial program is essential. Again in
cooler climates they are best removed from open aviaries for the winter and
placed in a warmer environment until the weather warms up, sorry, IF it warms
up!
These guys also spend a great deal of time on the ground so a thorough worming
regime is essential and it has been reported that Mask finches have a tapeworm
that does not require an intermediate host so a good tape worming medication
would appear to be even more critical in this species.
Summary:
The Mask is one of my all time favourite
finches. Their beautiful colour scheme, temperate nature and close social
structure have always impressed me. I must admit that I have not, until
recently, been too successful in breeding them but have now established a
beautiful little colony. They will always hold a place for me as an aviary bird
and I have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone who has an eye for a
challenge!
You can ill afford not to have a thorough worming and Coccidia program in place
for this species as these both appear to be high on the cause of deaths for
these guys.
If you have time to watch the social dynamics of a small flock of these birds
you will never be without a colony or two in your aviaries. Personally I believe
they are a high maintenance bird, especially in cooler climes, but well worth
the effort in the long run!
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Byyyyyeeeeee!!! |